Whether you've loved Mrs. Dalloway forever or Woolf is new to you, there's nothing more satisfying than thinking about this book for 45 minutes. We do a quick bio, a little chunk on modernism then a deep dive into the SEXY parts of the book. Indulge now and come away a little smarter.
What an honor to add my voice to the important chorus extolling everyone's favorite kid book, Frog and Toad. Allow me to explain how structure, monosyllabic word choice, vowel sounds and syntax all combine to result in PROFOUND resonance. The big bonus is that the queer elements of the work make reading Lobel not only a nostalgic delight, but an important act.
People. Raymond Carver's short fiction is so good that it's essentially responsible for the American short fiction heyday in the 1980s. Listen in to why the content and the STYLE makes Carver entirely inimitable and so compelling.
Even if HUCK FINN is your favorite ever, you have to admit that what Everett has done is amazing. Listen in for all the nuance you need about HUCK (without spending days [re]reading Twain). Kimberly shares not only why JAMES is an insanely great revisioning of the 1884 adventure story--but why Everett's crucial text is hilarious, unique and JUST SO GOOD.
Melville's classic is always right at the top of BEST EVER novels lists. We really dig into what is so appealing about this masterpiece: its weird structure, its likeable, unique narrator, an open-mindedness that seems pretty radical for 1851 (including some serious homoeroticism)--and, of course, the appeal of Queequeg, everyone's favorite harpooner.
Before When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and Julie andJulia, Nora Ephron wrote the BEST NOVEL. Heartburn is light and funny, but also complex, nuanced and full of compassion. Kimberly runs through the history of romantic comedy--not as simple as you'd think--and all the tropes that make the genre what it is. She then takes a close look at how Ephron UPENDS so many of these rom-com conventions. For a new appreciation of this excellent art form, tune in now.
NO READING REQUIRED! NO SPOILERS! (lol) Kimberly expected this to be some kind of sports encyclopedia--which, let's be honest, it is. But it's also a really compelling memoir! Simmons's prose, which she does subject to a (brief) close reading, allows fans to RELIVE and deepen iconic moments (some new to Kimberly) because of its narrative voice and structure, its selection of details and all those footnotes. She does acknowledge that this is NO FEMINIST TREATISE. But she also understands that the book knows its audience and even succeeds with someone who's really NOT the intended reader. And maybe most importantly Simmons reveals, in these pages, THE SECRET. One that has the potential (does it???) to change Kimberly's life. Listen in to find out how!
If you’re even remotely sad that summer’s ending, if you have any feelings about the beauty of nature, if you have aging parents, if you think even occasionally about mortality (lol), you MUST read this book. It’s slim, gorgeous, funny, sad and a complete joy. Of all Kimberly’s recommendations, The Summer Book might be the one that's most universally loved. And honestly, Kimberly must say, this deep dive is some of her very best analysis. Tove Jansson is TOO GOOD to warrant anything less.
NO READING REQUIRED! Kimberly is actually really NOT suggesting you read The Buccaneers. You SHOULD, though, read Wharton's The Age of Innocence or The House of Mirth. Her prose is engaging, gorgeous and so fun to read. Listen in to hear all about what happens with Nan and her men, with Laura Testvalley and Dick, with Honoria and Mabel and all the girls. Honestly, it's just such a treat to hear Wharton's writing. Indulge yourself now!
Ready to head back to school? DREADING back to school ? Allow Kimberly to make the most of this transition. Spark's masterpiece is brief but wow does it pack a punch. Her prose SEEMS simple but her original, sometimes startling syntax, the way she plays with time, and the unique structure of this work mean there's soooo much for Kimberly to dig in to.
This 1955 novella--it's slim, tricky and SO GOOD--is the bedrock of Mexican literature. Its complexities and virtuoso innovations make it particularly exciting to look at in depth. Kimberly breaks down key elements, explains the revolutionary aspects and helps you understand what the hell is going on. She likes to think she added something new to the conversation: arguing that Pedro Pàramo is NOT in fact magic realism. Listen in to see how you feel about her daring thesis, and end up feeling just a little smarter!
Lerner says, "Art has to offer more than stylized despair." 10:04 offers so much more! (With, also, some excellent stylized despair.) Kimberly low-key compares the work to Slaughterhouse Five, before diving in to a close look postmodernism, narrative stance and why HUMOR adds so much to this incredible piece of auto-fiction. If you love Lerner, or WANT to love Lerner--listen in!
NO SPOILERS! Kimberly picked up this hybrid memoir-novel because she was intrigued by Lacey's inventiveness. Listen in to see which parts of the text met her high expectations and which might have fallen a bit short. And if you haven't thought through the difference between a mobius strip and the infinity symbol, Kimberly promises to add a little insight to your Mobius Book experience..
There are SO MANY REASONS why so many people love this book. Allow Kimberly to help you see how Vonnegut's deceptively simple prose does so much heavy lifting. She dives deep into the book's structure, its sci-fi elements and its humor. She really wants to share her take on why this groundbreaking, post-modern classic is so much more than its postmodern peers. Listen in now for an immersion into one of Time's best 100 novels of the past 100 years.
Hazzard's 1980 novel is one of the most gorgeous, most intricate, most rewarding, most RICH novels that Kimberly has ever read. Listen in to hear her explain how its nimble narrator, its figurative language and its singular, masterful structure--among many other elements--make it SO worth your while.
Magic realism is an excellent way to articulate the inarticulable, to assert dissent, and to question order. Historical fiction is an amazing vehicle for examination of the past! Join Kimberly for a discussion of Russell’s novel in the context of Gabriel García Márquez, Isabel Allende, and even Mary Karr. You’ll come away with a better understanding of The Antidote, while gaining a broader sense of how TRUTH sometimes functions well in fiction and sometimes falls short.
Mastretta's ultra-engaging, sex-forward, historical, feminist family romance from 1985 might be a touchstone of feminist literature, but it's also SO FUN TO READ. Kimberly dives in to the feminist underpinnings, the way our protagonist can rationalize living with a criminal (anyone interested in how Carmela Soprano did it, you should read this book!) and the literary merits of this engaging work. This is a summer read you'll remember forever!
Orbital is the kind of novel that could inspire hours and hours of conversation. Kimberly can't imagine a single person who feels like they apprehended the thing with just one read. If you're curious about how she pulled it off, how she uses language to describe the undescribable, or plenty of other aspects--indulge yourself in a more fulsome experience of this gorgeous Booker Prize winner now!
NO SPOILERS! Kimberly could not agree more with The Atlantic. This novel is the most crowd-pleasery of any book she ever recommends. It is SO GOOD. Rich and complex, but also light, it's gorgeous and transporting--everything you want in a summer read! Listen in now to be sure you fully appreciate all that makes it so appealing.
People. This is when things get fun. Kimberly breaks down a bunch of aspects of the work: figurative language, the unique structure, patriarchy v. matriarchy, the very nature of creativity and the essence of what it is to be human (!!). Want to get more out of this insanely great book? Treat yourself now.